Paraldehyde is a sedative-hypnotic drug which has been used in medicine for close to 100 years. Chemically it is a polymer of acetaldehyde into which it is readily depolymerized by acid and less readily by light. It has been frequently hypothesized that likewise paraldehyde is depolymerized in vivo with further metabolism to acetate and carbon dioxide. There is however no concrete evidence to support this hypothesis and no metabolites of paraldehyde have been identified. Moreover, it is not known how fast paraldehyde is cleared from human blood, be it in infants or adults. Yet it is generally agreed that for rational therapy it is essential to know the rate of elimination of the drug employed, its metabolic fate and metabolic effects. The overall goal of this proposed investigation is to provide this information. The proposed research would seek to determine using 14C-paraldehyde what are the metabolites of this agent in experimental animals, whether it is oxidized to CO2, whether it forms acetate and whether acetaldehyde is an intermediate in its metabolism. Concurrently clinical investigation will be carried out to determine how rapidly it is cleared from the bloodstream by neonatal infants receiving it for control of seizures. Seizures in infants is one of two specific indications for which paraldehyde continues to be extensively used. The other is control of alcohol withdrawal. An additional aspect that will be investigated will be the mechanism whereby high doses or paraldehyde may cause acidosis.